Many charities are complaining that it’s impossible to sent supplies to Haiti right now. Well that makes sense as that is what every relief organization and government agency has been saying repeatedly.
More than three weeks after the earthquake, donated goods are accumulating at small charities, sitting in shipping limbo because of costs and a complex web of transportation logistics. The heaps of donations are evidence that many people ignored the advice to just give cash.
Estriplet and other charities opted to collect items because it has a more personal touch. She is specifically gathering donations for her hometown of Carrefour, a devastated suburb of Port-au-Prince. But it’s not clear how she’s going to get the goods there.
"We’re open to anyone who has an idea on how to do this, and we’re taking any suggestions," Estriplet said.
Almost immediately after the quake hit, large organizations said money was the best way to help. It has never been easy to get supplies into Port-au-Prince, and the tremor has made things much worse.
This is the rationale
As of Wednesday, more than $644 million has been donated in the U.S. to major organizations engaged in Haiti relief efforts, according to the Chronicle of Philanthropy. More than a third of the money has gone to the American Red Cross.
Still, many Haitian-Americans say they want to make sure help gets directly to people who need it.
Asking just for cash can put off, for example, schoolchildren who want to send bandages to injured victims, said Hannah Belkovic of Massachusetts-based Partners in Development, which is working to get medical supplies and other aid to Haiti.
"The connection is lost, somehow, in what they are actually participating in," she said.
You know, giving American school kids a connection to a tragedy is important but not at the expense of helping those in Haiti. This isn’t a tragedy about us, it’s about Haiti and if cash, gold bars, or even Cadbury Easter Eggs is what is going to make the immediate difference, that is what you send. There is going to be a decade of reconstruction ahead. There will be times for toothpaste and deodorant to be sent, just not right now.
